ROSS Foreman may have been among only a handful of WWII veterans in Townsville’s Anzac parade but he was not alone with his heart overflowing with memories of his mates.

The 94-year-old was serving in Darwin when it was bombed by the Japanese before also surviving the Battle of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea.

“Anzac for me is for all my friends in the army who got killed,” he said. “It’s about memories, great memories.”

The loss of some of Townsville’s most beloved war veterans in the past year was felt keenly at the parade.

Keron “King” Glendon, who led the march every year until his recent death, was ­replaced by his mate Roy “Dutchy” Heaslip in the sidecar of a 1942 Harley-Davidson.

Former Prisoner of War Sidney King who last year captivated then Prime Minister Julia Gillard with his memories of the notorious Changi prison camp has also gone, as has famed Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion veteran ­Enemarki Zaro who has inspired generations of indigenous servicemen and women.

THEIR days on the court may be over but former Townsville Fire players Aneka Davis, Cherie Gallagher and Julia Duroux will be cheering from the sideline when the team takes on Bendigo in the grand final.